Electrical coupling of signal-arms for railways.



A. OBSTERREIHER, DEGD. L. OESTERRMUHBR, wIDow a GUARDIAN, a LMU, (1o-GUARDIAN:

ELBGTRIUAL GOUPLING 0F SIGNAL ARMs vP0P. RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED S-BPT. 12, 1912.. 1,1 1 3,819l Patented;0013.413,1914.V

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED oEs'rFRREIcIIER, DECFAsED, LATE 0F VIENNA, AUsTINA-"HUNGARY,` FY

y LEoFoLDINF oFsrERREIcHER. WIDoWIAND GUARDIAN, AND JULIUs RIIU,` co- GUARDIAN, AssIGNoRs HUNGARY, A FIRM.

`'ro BRDFRREDLICH & BERGER,` oFvIENNA,` AUSTRIA- ELECTRICAL coUFLING oF SIGNAL-ARMS FoR RAILWAYs.

specification of Letters Patent; `Patented giet, 13,. 19`14 Application filed September 12, 1912. Serial No. 720,063. r ,i

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that ALFRED OESTERREICHER,

deceased, formerly a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna,

Austria-Hungary, (LEOFOLDI'NE @ESTER- REICHER, a subject of the Emperor of Aus-y tria-Hungary, residing. at Liesing, near Vienna, `Austria-Hungary, widow and one of the legal heirs of said ALFREDMOEs'rER- REICHER and guardian of the minor children of said ALFRED OESTERREICHER, and JULIUS KHU, coguardian of MARGARETHE OESTER-` REICHER and VALERIE OEsTERREICI-IER, `minor children, and the other legalheirs of said ALFRED OESTERREIGHER,) did inhis lifetime invent certain new and useful` Improve,-

ments in Electrical Couplings of- 'Signal-I Arms for Railways, of which thel following is a specification.

This invention proposes i an improved coupling between the signal arm` and `the mechanical operating gear of a; semaphore, and it resides, briefly, in the insertion of an electrically-,controlled locking bar into the signal-operating rod, which bar is locked when the current is om and is then brought into engagement with the connecte ing rod, forming, with the latter, a rigid system. When the current is ot'ff the said bar is disengaged from the connecting rod, due to the release of the armature, thereby detaching the connecting rod and the signal rod from each other.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, .where` Figure 1 is a side'elevation of the improved semaphore coupling, .showing the position of parts prior to operation, and with the electro-magnetic circuit closed, the dotted lines indicating the positions assumed by the locking bar and the armature `of the magnet when the latter is denergized. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the signal in line clear position after operation, the magnet being energized. Fig. 3 shows the signal in a danger position and the magnet denergized. Fig. 4 is a fragmental elevation at right-angles to Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a plan View of a detail. r l

In said drawing, M indicates a fixed elec tro-magnet, the armature A of which has a hinge or pivotal mounting c. To this armature are secured the terminals of the legs of a forkc'nwhich straddles the signal operat ing rod S and carries at its end a roller r'. Rod 1S is slotted longitudinally, as shown, to receive therein the shank of the locking barR, the latter having a hookedlower end and being pivotedat the upper end of its shank, in the afore-mentioned slot, upon a cross-pin al.V The lower portion of: rod Slis slidablyfitted in `the bore of thetubular connecting rod S2, this rod S2 being` provided at Yits. upper end with a head w having a coni.-

`cal or beveled bottom face, and being conl'nectevd by a pitman l, or the like, to achainl `wheel; K, :which wheel rotates `about the: Ishaft or spindle D and is connected. by the chain or wire `cable 7:, with vthe` interlocking gear, (not shown).`

vThe mode of operation follows :-If, during the time that themagnet M is denergized, the connecting rod S2 is drawn downward bythe rotation' of wheel K, the engagement `of head w von said rod with thel terminal `hook .on i the locking bar` R willftend to force the latter outwardly of its slot inthe signal-operatingrod S', whereby i the pressure exerted by the locking bar against roller r consequent upon its outward` `movement will pull armature 1A away from said magnet, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l.` In this way, the locking bar is released from engagement with head w, and, as the rotation of the said wheel continues, the connecting rod S2 will move upon and relatively to the rod Sv the signal P will be unaffected, said parts remaining in the position represented in Fig. l. On the other hand, when the magnet becomes energized by the passage of the current through its windings, the armature' A substantially and the latter and v will be attracted, and, in moving inwardly toward said magnet, will force `bar R into the afore-mentioned slot, with thek result that the hook on said bar is forced into engagement with head w. Accordingly, when the subsequent downward movement ofrod S2 takes place, the rod S` will likewise be drawn downward and the signal P willV be caused to swing upwardly into line clear position, the roller` 7' preventing any outward movement of the locking bar from its slot. When the current is again cutoff, the weight of the signal will become operative,

and Will produee an upivard movement of rod S and bar R, `with the result that the yso latter is` disengaged from headw in the manner originally stated, and is caused to move the armature away from the'inagnet. The signal then drops again, as indicated in Fig. 3. The interlocking gear may then be operated to raise rod S2 until its head again reaches a. vposition for engagement by the lockingbarhoolr.`

We claim as the invention of ALFRED Ons- TERREICHER :e

' Lin a railway signaling apparatus, the combinatiomwith a pivotally-mounted signal, and a,signal-operating` means; oia pair offinter-'tted rods movable independently of eachother and connected, one to said4 signal, and the other to the said operating means; locking' means Carried by the firstnamed rod Jfor releasablezengagement with the other rod; and an eleotromagnet having a movable armature eonneted with the locking means, .for engaging the latter with the said other` rod gized. v V

- 2.A In a railway signaling apparatus, the combination, With a pivotally-mounted signal, and a signal-operating means;vof a pair of ii'iter-iitt'ed rods movable independently of eachother and connected, oneto said signal, kand the other to thesaid operating means, the. second-named rod having a beveled' head; a locking bar pivoted to the iirstnamed rodl and having a portion arrangedfto When said `magnet vis eneropisl 'af this iatale may be obtained for engage said head; and an electro-magnet having a movable armature connected with said locking bar, for moving the latter into position to engage said head, and for holding the same in such engagement, when said magnet is energized.

3. In a railway signaling apparatus, the combination, with a pivotally-mounted signal, and a signal-operating means; of a pair of inter-fitted rods mova le independently of each other and connected, one to said si gnal, and the other to the said operating means, the second-named rod having a beveled head; a looking bar pivoted to the lirstnamed rod; an electro-magnet having a movable armature; and a fork connected to said armature and straddling said first-named rod and said bar, said fork having a roller bearing against the latter for moving the same into position to engage said head and for holding it in such engagement, when said magnet is energized.

LEOPOLDINE OESTERREICIIER,

` Widow of Alfred Oesterreicher, deceased, and one of the guardians of Margarethe Oesterreicher and Valeria Oesterreicher, minor children of said Alfred Oestcrrcicher, deceased. i

Witnesses:

Josnr RUBAsoH, AUGUST FUGGER.

ve' cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C." 

